


A Long Way to a Forgotten Home

by Tieflingfemme



Category: Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: F/F, Fix-It, I'm throwing out all the dumb shit trespasser came up with, Inquisition rewrite, Just about everyone shows up, Light Angst, No Corypheus, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-08
Updated: 2018-12-15
Packaged: 2019-09-13 18:57:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,465
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16898118
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tieflingfemme/pseuds/Tieflingfemme
Summary: Thedas trembles under the weight of its history, and ignites in the light of a sky torn apart. Arrows fired so long ago come to land, as the Guide takes the hand of the hunter, and shows her the way home.





	1. Visions of Green and Black

The world came apart into visions of green and black, rending the air around Kaia Lavellan. For what felt like hours her consciousness rolled and twisted, failing to fade, before settling on the sounds of inhuman chatter around her. What was moments ago the Frostback Mountains became a hazy mist rolling over jagged rocks surrounding where she lay, and a single great staircase to a gash in the viridescent sky, guarded by a great beast glowing bright white.

Without thinking, Kaia felt herself begin to move toward the staircase, dragging her limp body faster as the chatter grew louder around her. The beast above glowed brighter and changed shape, becoming a humanoid figure, who’s features Kaia couldn’t discern.

“I suspect you have questions, da’len, but they will have to wait for now, you cannot linger here.” The voice emanated from all around Kaia, but somehow she registered it as belonging to the figure, which seemed to nod in turn.

She stepped closer to the figure, now on the same platform as it and the strange gash in the air, but she could no more perceive its features than before. She attempted to speak, but no sound came out, and she could not be sure her mouth moved at all. The chatter grew louder again, and at the bottom of the steps, several shapes emerged, many legged and eyed, clambering up the stone stairs.

The figure placed a hand on Kaia’s back and guided her to the gash in the air, “Be wary, da’len, of arrows shot to the sky long ago, coming to land.”

The beasts below reached the platform, and the white figure pushed Kaia at, and _through_ the gash.

Green was replaced by gray, chatter by shouting voices, before the world again turned to blackness.

 

* * *

 

 Kaia Lavellan awoke to the sensation of cold stone against skin, the weight of iron on her wrists, and waves of searing pain in her left hand.

Her vision returned agonizingly slowly, gray blurs turned to armored figures, and a single unarmored one knelt before her.

Another wave of pain hit, and sickly green tendrils of energy shot from her hand, their light illuminating the knelt figure’s face. It was elven, middle-aged, and furrowed with concern and frustration. Kaia couldn’t stifle a gasp of pain and the elf’s gaze shot to hers. He stood and faced the armored figures, who she could now make out as humans, _soldiers._ “She is awake, I’ll send for your seeker,” the elf said, and departed from the room. She attempted to speak, to call after him, but no sound came from her numbed lips.

Through the haze of pain and confusion, Kaia felt cold fear claw up her spine as she processed her situation.

Humans, armed ones, had captured her. Where they elf hunters? _No too well armed._ Soldiers? _Possibly._ Or worst of all, Templars? She squinted to make out the insignia on their breastplates, and her stomach dropped. Every breastplate was adorned by that symbol she had grown to fear: the sword piercing flame of the Templar Order.

_She was going to die._

_What had happened to Mahanon? Elanna? Rin? Were they captured too? Were they killed? Had they ran? What happened?_

She wanted to scream, but her body still lagged behind her brain, and all she produced was a pathetic whimper, a sound that caused the soldiers to jump back, a few throwing their hands on the hilt of their blades.

Another wave of pain, enough to tear Kaia’s eyes from her captors and stare at the offending hand. The same green tendrils shot from it, and waves of energy rippled through her fingers and palm, where a single glowing laceration seemed to be the source of the energy. It was magical, without a doubt, but it was unlike any kind of she had seen in or outside of her clan. Even the most sinister blood magic didn’t appear so _alien._

There was little time to inspect it further however, before the door to the room burst open, kicked by another armored human; a woman in Templar armor, with a disconcerting amount of blood on the curved blade at her hip. Behind her another woman entered, this one hooded, with no visible weapons an equal sense of foreboding. The surrounding humans snapped to attention at their entrance.

The pair paused before Kaia, scrutinizing her coldly. The Templar spoke first, towering over her as she did. “Tell me why we shouldn’t kill you now.” Her voice was low, with an accent Kaia couldn’t place, and laced with venom. “The conclave is destroyed, and everyone who attended is dead, except for you.”

Kaia felt her heart leap into her throat, but did not respond. _Dead, all dead. That can’t be true, they’re lying, shemlen always lie._

The Templar seized her by the wrist and brought it up to eye level, the glowing mark staring back at Kaia.  “Explain this!”

“I… I can’t,” her voice cracked from disuse. The Templar released her and glared, eyes filled with hate, a hand resting on her sword.

“What do you mean you can’t.”

She racked her brains for some placating lie, but none came, “I don’t know what that is, I don’t know what's going on, I don’t-”

“-You’re lying!” the Templar snapped, seizing her by collar. The restraint was gone, replaced by a singular rage.

The other woman stepped forward and pulled the Templar back, a gloved hand firmly gripping her arm, “We need her Cassandra.”

The hooded woman then knelt to face Kaia, her expression unreadable. “Do you remember what happened? How this began?” she said, her voice coated in a thick Orlesian accent.

She tried to recall the conclave, but it was all blank. She arrived, poked fun at the shemlen with her kin and… “I remember running, running from something. There was a staircase and… a man? I’m not sure.”

“A man? Who?”

“I don’t know, he reached out to me and…” Kaia sighed as her memory failed her. A look of disappointment even flitted across the Orlesians face as she stood and nodded to her compatriot, then left the chamber. Cassandra pulled her to her feet, took a key from one of the soldiers, and removed her shackles.

She gathered her courage and asked what she wished no answer to.

“What did happen?”

Cassandra paused at the question, and for a moment she braced herself for the Templar’s ire, but none came. Only a tentative voice, laced with apprehension.

“It will be easier to show you.”


	2. The Breach

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A human warrior, a surfacer dwarf, and two dalish elves confront the wrath of heaven.

The sky should’ve been bright with the midday sun glaring off the snow, but instead the entirety of it seemed to burn, its gaping wounds stretched out over the Frostback Mountains, painting them in the eerie green light pouring from it, and blotting out the sun.

Where the Temple of Sacred Ashes had been now there was only rubble, and a group of violent tendrils of the same green light reaching to the largest of the gashes in the sky.

“We call it ‘The Breach’,” Cassandra explained, “It is a massive rift into the world of demons that grows larger with each passing hour.”

“There are many others scattered throughout the valley, and likely half of Thedas by now, but this is the first, and the largest.” She turned and glared at her prisoner, “All were caused by the explosion at the Conclave.”

“Which you still think is my fault?”

Before Cassandra could reply, the Breach flashed green, and stretched infinitesimally further across the sky. As if on cue, the mark on Kaia’s hand burst into writhing energy again, the pain of it knocking her to her knees.

Cassandra helped her up, but her expression did not change. “Clearly something went wrong, that mark is killing you, but that does not make you innocent.”

Kaia sighed again, there was no time to process this. No time to grieve, no time to think, so she followed as Cassandra led her through Haven. A crowd of glaring humans had gathered, and she was sure one of them was going to approach with a dagger and gut her by the way they looked at her, but Cassandra’s presence seemed to hold them back.

“They have already decided your guilt, they need it.” The crowd began jeering, but still stayed back, “They mourn our Divine Justinia, and the one chance for peace in the war between mages and Templars.”

Cassandra stopped as they left the sight of the crowd. She pulled a dagger from her belt and cut Lavellans bonds. “I can promise you a trial, and if you help us with the breach, I will give my word on your behalf, but I can do no more.”

Kaia was taken aback, but nodded in agreement. It was certainly more than she expected, and far more than most elves ever got, especially from Templars. The acknowledgement was enough for Cassandra, who continued leading her toward the Breach.

 

* * *

 

Kaia was no stranger to combat, a life as a Dalish scout made sure of that, but she had never seen anything like the fighting in the valley of Haven. Hundreds of soldiers were engaging demons of all types. The sounds from below where she stood weren’t meant for this world, and caused a shaking in Lavellan that had nothing to do with the cold.

The bolts of green kept coming, tearing new rifts into the fade at every impact. With each new rift there were more demons, and more fallen soldiers. Her pace quickened, and she made sure to grab a pair of daggers from a downed Templar while Cassandra’s back was turned.

Eventually the two came upon a rift directly in their path, and were forced to fight. They were not the first there; an elven mage and a dwarf with an intricate crossbow were locked in combat with a handful of demons dragging themselves from a particularly jagged rift.

Cassandra drew her sword and nodded to Kaia, “Stay behind me!”

For a moment, she contemplated running, letting these strange folk be dispatched by the demons and turning tail back to the Free Marches, but Kaia knew herself well enough to know her damned conscience wouldn’t let her, so she drew the daggers she had hidden and joined the fray.

The ephemeral demons were easy to dispatched, as their bolts of magic were too slow to catch Kaia and dragging a dagger through their form caused them to disperse like mist. Other demons required more caution, as she discovered right before a rage demon attempted to gore her, only stopped by the emergence of Cassandra’s blade from its chest. Kaia nodded to thank her, but she only glared for a moment at her daggers before nodding herself and rejoining the fight.

The group pressed on, but whenever they had cleared the path of demons, the rift would rumble and crack, and more would crawl out, quickly wearing down even Cassandra.

After the third set of creatures fell, the mage grabbed Lavellan by her wrist and pointed the mark at the rift. She felt a surge of strange energy course through her arm, and no insignificant amount of pain.

“Now! Reach out with it!” The mage barked at her. Kaia had no idea what that meant, but the energy in her arm seemed to respond nonetheless. The aimless crackling from the mark focused into winding beams of magic, striking the edges of the rift. She felt the urge to pull on the energy, and did so, watching in astonishment as the rift imploded, closed.

“By the Dread Wolf! What did you just do?” She turned to the mage, eyes still wide from shock.

She shrugged, “I did nothing, the credit is yours da’len.”

Kaia looked down at the mark, still stinging and pulsing with energy. “Well, at least it’s good for something then.”

The mage gave a half smile, “Whatever made the Breach also made the mark on your hand. A companion of mine and myself theorized that it might be able to close the rifts made by the Breach, thankfully we were correct.”

Cassandra stepped forward, also seemingly in awe of the mark’s display. “Meaning it could also close the Breach itself.”

The mage paused in thought for a moment, before nodding. “ It’s not impossible.” She looked to Kaia, “Apparently you will be playing a larger part in this da’len.”

Kaia made to protest, but was interrupted by the dwarf grunting from behind them.  

“Well that's good to know, and here I thought we’d be ass-deep in demons forever.” He shouldered his crossbow and gave a mock bow. “Varric Tethras. Rogue, storyteller, and occasionally-” he winked at Cassandra, “-unwelcome tagalong.”

“So you are here… for what? You don’t look like you’re with the chantry?” Kaia asked.

Varric simply laughed, “No, I suppose I don’t.” He gestured again toward Cassandra, “I’m a prisoner of our dear Seeker here, just like you.”

“I brought him here to tell his story to the Divine. Clearly that is no longer necessary.” Cassandra sighed.

“Yet here I am! Lucky for you considering recent events.”

“Pleased to meet you Varric.” .

The mage gave a sarcastic laugh, “You will rethink that stance in time.”

Varric shot back an equally sardonic smile, “Oh I’m sure we’ll all become great friends in the valley.”

“Absolutely not,” Cassandra said, “Varric, your help is appreciated but-”

“-Have you been in the valley lately, Seeker? You soldiers aren’t in control anymore,” he gestured to the path ahead. “You need me.”

Cassandra made a noise of disgust, but otherwise did not object, instead making for the steps leading further into the valley.

“I suppose if we’re introducing ourselves, you may call me Velanna.” The mage addressed Kaia, “I’m happy to see you still live da’len.”

Varric snorted, “She’s only saying that because she and chuckles spent the last three days keeping the mark from killing you.”

Kaia looked between the two, confused. “Chuckles?”

Cassandra gave another grunt of annoyance, “He means Solas. He’s the one tended to you last, and he’s probably at the forward camp by now, where we really should be.”

Velanna glared, but followed Cassandra, with Kaia and Varric in tow.

 

* * *

 

The valley of Haven was in chaos. Demons swarmed it and Cassandra’s soldiers were losing ground. The four of them attempted to help where they could, but never lingered, at Cassandra’s insistence. Only after reaching the ascent to the forward camp did she allow them to stop for breath, however briefly.  

The camp itself was sealed, and Kaia’s breath caught in her throat as she saw why. A rift larger than the one she had sealed stood in the way, with shades surrounding it and clawing at the gate.

“Quickly! We’ll draw the demons, you close the rift!” Cassandra barked, before drawing her sword and charging shield first into a shade. Velanna followed suit, her staff spitting out energy into a rage demon. Only Varric stayed back, taking careful aim with his crossbow, “Go on! We can hold them!”

Kaia gathered her courage and dived into the fray, holding a dagger in her unmarked hand, and holding her other aloft to face the rift. She felt the energy respond but felt no edges to pull, and the rift itself changed shape in response, changing from a wound in the air to a crystalline form floating above the snow.

“I can’t do it! I can’t feel the rift, what do I do?” Kaia shouted to no one in particular, hand still raised and crackling with its strange magic.

“I have a theory,” Velanna yelled back, fired a great volley of magical bolts into the remaining handful of demons, and dropped to her knees in exhaustion. “It's anchoring itself to its demons, try it now!”

Kaia reached through the mark again, and nearly jumped in surprise as the rift responded, its crystalline form shattering as it opening into the fade once more. Like the first, she felt for the immaterial edges, and pulled them closed.

Cheering erupted from the walls above the gate, and it's great wooden doors finally opened. The group was quickly ushered into the makeshift camp and poured over by healers and soldiers alike. Several closed in on Kaia, shouting questions and accusations, but they were roughly pushed aside by Cassandra, who took her by the arm and led her past the crowd. Varric stepped in and began regaling the soldiers with an exaggerated story of what was happening in the valley, while Velanna joined Kaia and Cassandra as they made they way to a group of arguing humans further on, one of whom Kaia recognized as the Orlesian woman who had questioned her.

"Leliana, where's Solas?" Velanna demanded as they approached.

The woman turned away from the man beside her, ignoring his indignation.

“I'm sorry Velanna, I haven't seen him.”

"The idiot is probably still in the valley. No matter, he'll turn up." 

Leliana nodded, and looked back to the man at her side. “Chancellor Roderick, you've met Velanna, and this is-”

“-I  know who she is.” He regarded Kaia with disgust before facing Cassandra. “As Grand Chancellor of the Chantry, I hereby order you to take this criminal to Val Royeaux to face execution.”

Kaia felt her stomach drop, she looked to Cassandra, expecting the same look of disgust, and found it directed at the Chancellor.

“ _Order me?_ You are a gloried clerk-” Cassandra spat the word, “-a bureaucrat.”

“And you are a thug, but a thug that supposedly serves the Chantry.”

Velanna groaned and pointed toward the temple, “Closing the Breach is our concern at the moment, _shemlen._ You can make your petty power grab later.”

The Chancellor’s face turned red with rage, but Cassandra spoke before he could retort. “She’s right, we need to get her to the Temple of Sacred Ashes, every other concern is secondary.” She looked to Leliana, “Gather everyone left in the valley, we’re charging the temple.”

 

* * *

 

As Kaia, Velanna, and Cassandra descended to what was left of the temple’s central chamber, the air around them began to shift. The latent magic within it changed from a low crackle to a constant thrum, seeming to heat the air. Whispers from the fade grew to full voices, and began booming through the ruined temple.

“Now is the hour of our salvation,” A deep commanding voice spoke, tinged with an inhumane tone beneath it, “Bring forth the lamb.”

Cassandra looked around at the sky, as if the voice’s source could be found there. “What are we hearing?”

Velanna closed her eyes in focus, “If I were to guess, probably the one who started all this.”

Kaia herself found some strange comfort in the voice, as it was certainly not hers, and she could discount a sudden bout of madness on her part as the cause of the Breach. The group remained listening, and were startled as Varric shouted down from on of the archers positions.

“There’s red lyrium down there, its evil stuff _do_ **_not_ **touch it!”

Kaia was unsure what raw lyrium looked like, but the sickly red stones he had pointed to seemed far from it. Little bolts of energy arched across the crystal, and the three took even more cautious steps to avoid the stones as they finally reached the bottom of the chamber.

Again the voices rose from whispers to comprehensible speech, even louder than before.

“Keep the lamb still.” The same inhuman voice, followed by different human one.

“Please! Someone help me!” It was unfamiliar to Kaia, but as it cried out, Cassandra gasped.

“That is Divine Justinia’s voice!”

The rift shook, and Justinia’s cry rung out again, with a third voice after it, that Kaia did recognize. _Hers._

“Is something going on here?” fade Kaia said, but present Kaia had no memory of saying. In apparent response, the energy of the mark burst forth, and the voices materialized into shadowy figures around the rift.

Three figures stood around a bound woman who must’ve been Justinia. They were talking amongst themselves before a visage of Kaia burst into the room, “Fenedhis, whats going on here? What are you…” She looked to the bound Divine, who shouted back.

“Run while you can, warn the others!”

The largest of the standing figures turned to Kaia, “We have an intruder, kill the elf.” the same inhuman voice from before commanded, and the entire scene burst apart into scattered bits of magic.

Cassandra grabbed her by the shoulders, “You were there! Who attacked? And the Divine, is she…? Was this vision true? What are we seeing?”

Kaia shook her head in an attempt to clear it, but no helpful memory rose up, “I don’t remember, ir abelas I don’t know what happened.”

“The fade takes in events from our world, and sometimes with terrible things like this,” Velanna reached a hand out to the rift, “it spits them back out.”

She pointed to the center of the rift, where it formed into the same green crystals as the smaller ones. “Its closed, not sealed, like the smaller ones. The mark may be able to open it, but something is almost certainly on the other side.”

“That means demons, stand ready.” Cassandra gestured to the soldiers, who quickly made their way to surround the rift, weapons drawn. Cassandra drew her own sword, and nodded to Kaia.

The mark almost dragged her wrist to point at the rift, the energy almost enthusiastic as it leapt from her hand and into the crystal form, tearing it apart. Almost immediately a growl came from behind… or inside the rift, and deep unearthly noise that made Kaia’s skin crawl.

The source appeared first as two giant clawed hands and a set of far too many deep black eyes examining its surroundings with a feral hunger.

“Quick! Seal the rift before that thing comes through.” Velanna shouted and grabbed Kaia’s wrist, trying in vain to aim the mark a the rift. The magic itself seemed to hesitate along with her, unwilling to ignite. The demons face contorted into a fanged smile, and Kaia’s knees threatened to buckle under her.

Another hand took hold of her wrist, a glowing white hand, and before she could turn to look at its owner the mark burst into green flame, throwing the demon back into the fade and Kaia off her feet, into hard stone, shaking the consciousness from her.


	3. Deification and Diplomacy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Humans are a difficult folk.

Kaia Lavellan awoke to unfamiliar surroundings that were thankfully less stone than before, and a horrific headache. She was in a cabin of sorts, and judging by the glimpse of the snowy landscape she could make out from the window, she was in Haven village. 

She attempted to sit up and her skull protested immediately, drawing a groggy groan as she did so. She heard a tiny gasp and the sound of wood clattering against the floor, and Kaia looked to find a child of no older than eight by the cabin door, looking in shock and surprise at her. 

“I’m sorry miss. Auntie Leliana sent me to put a poultice on, I didn’t know you’d be awake.” she said as she rushed to place the crate at the bedside. “But if you are awake now, she said you need to see Lady Cassandra.” 

Kaia shook her head, and winced as that worsened the pain, “I can do the poultice myself it's fine, you can run along da’len.” 

The child frowned, and Kaia struggled not to laugh at the sight. “My ethasha said I could!” 

Kaia smiled to herself, but offered no further protest as the child applied new bandages to her head, and stepped away with a giant satisfied grin. “You are free to go.”

The door to the cabin opened again, startling both Kaia and the child. In it stood a dwarf, with short dark hair and tattoos framing her face, not unlike her own Vallaslin. The child squeaked in excitement at seeing her and ran to embrace her. 

The dwarf grunted as the child collided with her, but smiled nonetheless, “Hey! Glad to see you too, I heard you’ve been doing good work here.”

“I am! I gave her the poultice and gave her new bandages!” 

“That's great, I’m real proud of you Ceri.” She jerked a thumb to the outside, “Say, could you run and tell Lady Cassandra that Lady Lavellan is awake, she’ll want to know, and you can go play afterwards.” 

The child beamed and took off at a run, with the dwarf giving a concerned look after her before turning to Kaia. 

“In case you were wondering, you did stop the Breach, and your mark, from growing.” The dwarf said, “Damn thing is still up though, so Cassandra will want to speak to you at some point, but I was told to show you around here first.”

Kaia stood and shook her head, “I’ll be fine, I can make my way around.” 

The dwarf laughed, “It’s not really optional, Cassandra has to finish chewing out some Chantry folk, and you have nothing better to do so why not.” She held out a hand, which Kaia cautiously shook, “You can call me Sigrun, by the way.” 

Kaia had no retort, or real reason to object, so she gathered her robe around herself and followed. 

“The child, Ceri, is she yours?”  _ That’s a dumb invasive question great going Kaia.  _

Sigrun gave her a puzzled look, but not an offended one, before smiling, “In a manner of speaking. Me and my wife take care of her, but no.” She shrugged, “It’s kind of a favor to an old friend.” 

Kaia was far too focused on the  _ wife  _ part of the sentence to process anything else. “Your wife?” She said, a little too excitedly. 

Sigrun shot her another dazzling smile, “You two have met already, and people don’t generally forget Velanna.” 

“Fenedhis, is she okay?” 

“She’s fine, better than you were anyhow.” 

The pair continued walking along the path from the cabin to the central Chantry building, and Kaia noticed many of the humans along the way eyeing her strangely. That she was used to, but these were not the usual looks of disgust, condescension, or pity. Instead they looked on in a bizarre mix of fear and awe, and  _ that  _ was not something Kaia had ever received from shemlen before.

“Sigrun?” 

“Yes?” 

She pointed to a particularly long gawking human, “Why is everyone staring at me?” 

Sigrun grimaced, “Yeah, they think Andraste intervened to help you stop the Breach, they’re kind of calling you her Herald.” 

“They’re what!?” Kaia’s sudden outburst drew even more eyes, causing her to pull her robe closer and shrink into herself. 

“Sorry, I knew you wouldn’t like that. Velanna hated it too.” 

“They do realize I’m a Dalish elf?” 

“Probably.” 

“An elf definitely does not worship Andraste? You know? A heathen and all that?” Kaia sighed in exasperation, but again Sigrun only shrugged. 

“I’ve been married to a Dalish elf and living in human cities for almost seven years and in our experience humans only ever see what they wanna see. They can look right at her Vallaslin and my Daenrysh-” she pointed to the tattoos adorning her face, “-and still think we’re both good Andrastians, they just seem to filter out that kinda thing.” 

“Fantastic, I’m a captive of Templars and instead of killing me they decide to worship me, what a  _ lovely  _ turn of events.” 

Sigrun stopped, looking confused. “Templars? Wait you don’t think all these guys are templars do you?” Her eyes went wide as Kaia didn’t respond, “Oh sod it no one told you did they, you must have been terrified.” 

She gulped and looked around her, as if the explanation were to appear from the snow. “Well, it’s a little complicated and Cassandra should be the one to explain the details, but these guys-” she gestured to the camp surrounding the chantry, “They’re not Templars, at least not most of them, anymore.” 

“That doesn’t really seem all that better, Chantry is still Chantry.” 

“Well… that's kind of the thing. I’m not gonna try and say they’re all trustworthy, humans are still humans, but Cassandra and her soldiers are kind of… unchantry.” 

The pair reached the wooden doors of the chantry itself and Sigrun motioned for Kaia to go in without her, “Like I said, Cassandra will explain this, better.” She gave a small wave in farewell, “Good luck in there.” 

 

* * *

 

Luck, it seemed, would be needed. As Kaia entered the chantry, she was hit by a cacophony of angry voices coming from the room on the far side of the building. She recognized them as belonging to Leliana, Cassandra, and Chancellor Roderick, but the latter two were far louder than the first. 

All fell silent, however, when she entered the room. 

Chancellor Roderick spoke first, barking an order at the guards on either side of the door, “Chain her! I want her taken to the capital for trial.” 

Kaia immediately tensed and was about to draw her daggers when Cassandra spoke, “Disregard that, and leave us.” 

A moment passed as the guards looked between Cassandra and Roderick, unsure of who to obey, before they saluted and left the room. Roderick scowled, first Kaia, with such venom that she instinctively flinched, then Cassandra, who simply glared back. 

“You walk a dangerous line, Seeker.” 

“The Breach is stable but it is still a threat, I will not ignore it.” 

Kaia couldn’t help but scoff, “So after all that I’m still a suspect.”

Roderick looked as if he could barely stop himself from throttling her, “You absolutely are.” 

“Someone caused the explosion at the Conclave, someone Most Holy did not expect” Leliana spoke up, casting her own, far more intimidating glare Rodericks way. “Perhaps they died with the others, or, have allies who yet live.” 

Roderick withered under her scrutiny, and his confident sneer turned nearly to petty indignation, “I? Am a suspect?”

“You, and many others.” 

“But not the prisoner?” 

Cassandra waved him off, “I heard the voices in the temple, the Divine called to her for help.” 

“So her survival, that thing on her hand, all a coincidence?” 

“Providence. The Maker sent us to her in our darkest hour.” 

Had she not been surrounded by armed and apparently insane humans, Kaia would have laughed. As it was, she could hardly keep the bewilderment from her voice, “I’m am as much Andraste’s servant as I am Andraste herself.” Cassandra opened her mouth to protest, but Kaia ignored her, “I want no part in the games of your Chantry.” 

Cassandra considered her carefully, before turning away and opening a chest behind the table in the center of the room. She produced a large dusty tome and stared at it for some time before speaking, “We are not the Chantry, not anymore.” 

Roderick stared at her in disbelief, sputtering something about blasphemy. Cassandra turned back to him and slammed the tome onto the table, pointing a gloved finger at it, “Do you know what this is, Chancellor?” She didn’t wait for an answer, “A writ from the Divine, granting us the authority to act.” she looked to Leliana, who simply nodded in return. 

“As of this moment, I declare the Inquisition reborn.” she began walking in Rodericks direction, menace in her step, each phrase punctuated by an accusatory jab, “We will close the Breach, we will find those responsible, and we will restore order, with or without your approval.” 

Roderick stared at his feet, a strange look passing on his face, before turning away and leaving the room. 

Leliana sighed and placed her hands on the table, looking down onto the divine’s writ, “These were Divine Justinia’s last orders to us: restore the Inquisition of old, find those who would stand against this chaos. But we have no leader, no army, and now-” she gestured to the door, “-no chantry support.” 

Cassandra shook her head, “We have no choice, we’re out of time, we have to act.” She looked to Kaia, “Can we count on your help, Lady Lavellan?” 

Kaia simply took a step back, eyes wide in shock,  _ by Mythal what have I gotten myself into?  _ “I’m sorry… I want nothing to do with your holy war.” 

“We are already at war, but worry not da’len, this will not be the work of some foolish zealots.” a voice came from behind her. 

Kaia turned to see Velanna leaning against the doorframe, a small flame dancing between her fingers. “It grieves me to say it, but we need to help them. They need sensible elves to keep them in line.” She nodded to Lavellan, who only blushed and nodded back. She turned to Cassandra, who offered her hand. 

Kaia Lavellan took a deep breath, and silently prayed as she took it. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations: 
> 
> Ethasha: Female guardian of a child, literally "safe woman"
> 
> Daenrysh: The tattoos of the Legion of the Dead, literally "death markings"


End file.
